dry weather piping

Lorenzo · Post by **Lorenzo** » Fri Jun 27, 2003 4:12 pm

I see it's 101 deg. in Las Vegas today and 23% humidity. Pretty much like my weather! Maybe he'll be okay...

I'll keep an eye on the concerts via this link:

http://weather.cnn.com/weather/forecast.jsp?locCode=LAS

tok · Post by **tok** » Fri Jun 27, 2003 4:38 pm

My take on dry climate reeds is to make them thicker so that the cane will be a bit stronger where it tends to react to the dryness in the air . i.e. along the sides and at the lips of the reed . To still have a reed that has good tone and playability , I will use a softer tube of cane , If the cane is too hard it will have to be scraped down too much , just to get it to sound .
Also , If the octaves are out of tune , I will move the staple into the reed more , and place the bridle up higher along the sides of the reed . I am thinking that it is like doing the opposite of making a reed for a humid environment . The Taylors would make long lasting reeds by gougeing the cane till they were in the area of the cane with the most strong , limber fibers , near the bark . That may work too . I like the Idea of soaking the cane for a week or so in linseed oil , letting it dry , and then working it , though I have not done that .
To get the reeds to play easily in both ovtaves , I like to use the staple placement in such a way that it will act as a lever and give the cane fibers some spring , or " lift " to the reed and how it reacts to bag pressure . This is done by pushing the staple into the tails of the reed to a degree where the reed blades are pushed downwards and against eachother , and then as the reed is scraped , and sanded it will release the downward force at the lips of the reed . Kinda like a diving board . Now I have a reed that is airtight at the sides , and has enough cane on it to not close up in dry weather , plus , since the bridle is set up a little on the reed there is some tuning available by moving the brible up or back along the reed .

tok .

AlanB · Post by **AlanB** » Fri Jun 27, 2003 5:05 pm

Yup, I agree with the gouging, you have to shape the reed chamber so there is enough room for cane distortion without too much closure around the lips, and in extreme climates I guess you have to make a little more room. Slightly off topic, I have a reed for a flat (probably B), it is fairly old and is beautiful to look at, all the bark has been removed, but it retains its shape beautifully, it has a very narrow head, about 7mm, but the eye is perfect and very controllable. I daren't even take it apart, though temptation niggles....

Alan

tok · Post by **tok** » Fri Jun 27, 2003 5:11 pm

An advantage that the flat sets seem to have is that the cane does tend to hold up better If the reed is made more narrow . " More better "

tok .

Lorenzo · Post by **Lorenzo** » Fri Jun 27, 2003 5:16 pm

I should add that my tok reed is also excellent, and made right for this climate. Thanks Tom and Alan for the nice descritions!

tok · Post by **tok** » Fri Jun 27, 2003 5:23 pm

You are welcome .

tok .

djm · Post by **djm** » Fri Jun 27, 2003 6:37 pm

"I was wondering if there was any good reason not to just toss some water or an ice cube into the bellows?"

James, I hope you're kidding. The inside of the bag and bellows is not waterproof, not the leather or the wood, and especially not the leather clapper valves. These are not like GHB that are half plastic. You are likely going to trash your bellows. Do you actually know that you're having reed problems yet? Have you had an experienced piper help you set up your pipes?

You would do better to learn to make your own reeds, or get a dry-climate reed expert like tok to help you out before risking your set. You don't don't want to get into the expense of having to pay to replace your bag or bellows.

djm

[/quote]

tok · Post by **tok** » Fri Jun 27, 2003 6:44 pm

Thanks , Alan . You took the words out of my mouth regarding my approach to gougeing the tails down .
Tom .

brianc · Post by **brianc** » Sat Jun 28, 2003 11:36 pm

It was mentioned that Paddy Keenan is playing in Las Vegas, where it was reported to be 101 (f) and 23% humidity.

But bear in mind that he isn't going to playing out on the street at 2:00 in the afternoon.

In all likelihood, he'll be in a hotel/casino where the AC is run 24/7, and it's likely to be all of 74-75 degrees, and much more humidity than outside.

The last time I saw Paddy was here in Colorado, a few years' ago, and he let us have a look at his reed collection - there must have been 30 or 40 reeds in that box, and when asked why he travels with so many, his response was that "There's a reed in there somewhere that will work just about anywhere."

Lorenzo · Post by **Lorenzo** » Sun Jun 29, 2003 6:57 am

I've heard that forced air (including both heat and air cond.) makes things even worse. The moving air has a "drying effect" like the wind. So, unless the casino is humidified inside somehow (swimming pools, etc.), the AC may make the humidity even worse (dryer). But, it redeems itself by lowering the temp.

The wind from the bag has the same "drying effect" on the cane. And, if the air supply is too dry to begin with, it's made even worse as it passes through through the reed, because of the velocity it reaches (like blowing on glue to get it to dry faster). But if the air has some humidity in it, equal to or above the natural humidity already in the cane, it can actually "charge" the cane with moisture through those tiny little "drinking straws" you see in good cane, looking endwise through a micrscope.

I never turn the AC on unless it gets above 80-85 (inside). I'd rather play inside at 76 deg, with 21% humidity (like the other day), than outside at 101 deg. and higher humidity! My reed was working great (it would do everything I needed) but it's not like those days when it rains and the reed is jumping off the chart.

Thanks Brian for sharing that about Keenans 30-40 reeds. That proves the difference is all in how the reed is made, not in how many "cure all" tricks are applied to the cane. I'll bet anything that Keenan's reeds are nothing but pure cane.

I think all of us in the west should meet in Las Vegas and spend a couple of weeks with Keenan during the day. He'll probably just be sitting around, bored to death, and glad to give some lessons.

brianc · Post by **brianc** » Sun Jun 29, 2003 12:52 pm

Agreed on the effects of AC (drying) Lorenzo.

I've little doubt that they provided humidified air in Las Vegas, though - during the summer, the outside humidity can be single digits for days on end, and having been in a few of those hotels/casinos, I'd be surprised to find that there was no humidification in them.

Lorenzo · Post by **Lorenzo** » Sun Jun 29, 2003 4:08 pm

107 deg. and 24% humidity right now in Las Vegas. Outside weather nearly always has an effect on inside weather, esp. public place where people are coming and going all the time. Maybe I'll call that casino and have'm page Paddy, and see how it's going.

tok · Post by **tok** » Sun Jun 29, 2003 9:01 pm

tee hee hee .
lol
tok .

Lorenzo · Post by **Lorenzo** » Mon Jun 30, 2003 8:10 am

A wild, wild thunderstorm passed through yesterday. The weather changed from 96 F and 24% H, to 82 F and 80% H within a 1/2 hr. and it rained hard.

Can you imagine being confined to a motel room and trying out the new weather in some new dry climate town like Las Vegas? Can't play at night...neighbors sleeping, can't play in the morning...same problem. By that time the cleaning maid wants in. I guess there's the afternoon and evening when the weather is the worst.

Pat Cannady · Post by **Pat Cannady** » Mon Jun 30, 2003 12:05 pm

Has anyone experimented with using a fiddler's dampit in the bellows as a solution for dry-climate problems?

Seems like a good idea, just wonder how well it works under fire.